


Piece by Piece

by iamamiwhoami



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Growing Up, Healing, Love, M/M, Protective Archie Andrews, Protective Fred Andrews, Protective Toni Topaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-29 01:49:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18297839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamamiwhoami/pseuds/iamamiwhoami
Summary: When she escapes from the imminent death of a burning barn, Cheryl Blossom begins to discover life alongside two unexpected ones. A good-hearted man and his brave little boy.





	1. Thirteen years old: A good man and his little boy

**Author's Note:**

> Salut!
> 
> I started writing this story on July 1st 2018, and it took me all these months to finish it. Thank you, Lara, my personal angel of creative block and plots. I've tried to put aside some issues like adoption system and blood relationship Blossoms / Coopers, but I hope you guys enjoy it. I just wanted to present a perspective where Cheryl had a family and discovered an inexperienced happiness.
> 
> English is not my native language, but again, I truly hope you guys enjoy it. :)
> 
> Title by Kelly Clarkson's song, "Piece by Piece".

 

Cheryl doesn't feel Archie Andrews's soft, careful hands over her lightly burned arms. She doesn't understand why the redhead boy with his sweet eyes is crying as he tries to pull her out of the burning barn. They're only thirteen and she has never seen him cry, just smiling at everyone as the favorite and promising kid. He throws his coat over her shoulders and screams for help whose sound she can't hear. She's staring at the flames around, her eyes turbid and dazed.

Fast steps are echoing and a long figure enters the barn, grabbing their two and pulling them out, the firemen coming behind him. Fred Andrews takes her in his arms as she loses consciousness.

 

Cheryl feels sleepy as she wobbles in the truck. Her head rests on Archie's thighs, which holds two bandages in her arms and still cries compulsively while Fred Andrews drives faster than the ordinary suburban man could ever imagine, irresponsible and furious with his foot buried in the throttle.

Unable to keep her eyes open, she focuses on Fred's distant voice directed at Archie: "Everything's going to be fine, she'll be okay, we'll take care of her, I promise... " until she finally falls asleep.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._ – Sounds constant on the cardiac monitor.

The hospital bed is soft. Nothing like the uncomfortable barrel she was languishing in.

The sheets are lukewarm. Nothing like the violent flames of the barn.

A soft hand weighing hers is comfortable. Nothing like the monstrous solitude that once embraced her. It's Archie Andrews, quietly asleep in the armchair beside the bed, exhausted and shrunken, with his father's jacket covering him.

She allows herself to feel glad that the boy has stopped crying, but the relief is gone in the blink of an eye when all the memories of the fateful night invade her brain as an endless torment. They're diffuse and innumerable, making her sit up and try to raise her arms, failing and grunting with pain and weakness, just sinking her face into her trembling, flexed knees.

Clifford Blossom, her own father, shot her twin brother, her grandmother and her mother. He murdered them in cold blood. He chased her down the steps of the Mansion, he was covered in red. She remembers. She remembers hiding in an empty barrel of maple syrup in the barn. She remembers the smell of kerosene, the flames of fire, the door closing. She remembers to cry and not bother to run away, the images of the corpses of her family terrorizing her mind.

Under the yellow, slow light of the hospital room, Cheryl reluctantly tucks her arms and remembers the thought that crossed her. That there was nothing else and nobody else. Her mother, though hideous, dead. Her grandmother, silent and protective, dead. Her twin brother, her only friend in the world, dead. And her father, the tormentor, left forever.

She should have died in that barn.

But a soft hand wraps hers and Archie is looking at her, warm and careful, asking for a confidence she isn't sure if it exists in her.

When the boy opens his mouth smiling, probably to say something that comforts her, voices echo in the hallway.

"That's not up for discussion, Andrews. " The doctor is severe. "She's not the last Blossom, so don't worry, she will not be tossed into the system."

"He's right, Fred. " It sounds like Sheriff Keller. "She must stick with her own blood. "

"The blood was the one who massacred his mother, grandmother and brother. " Fred stiffens and Archie's eyes tell her that he has never heard his father speak so determinedly. "An orphanage is no worse than a loveless home. Cheryl is thirteen, she can choose. If she wants us, Archie and I will take care of her. "

"Archie and you? " Keller tries not to sound mocking. "Fred, you're almost always at work. This child needs constant support and vigilance. "

"We want to give it to her. Take her away from all these painful memories. " Fred insists. "In the future she'll be able to return to the Blossom if she wants to, take her inheritance, occupy her legacy, but now she needs a family, Tom. "

_Family._

The lost term makes Cheryl shrink in the bed.

Archie rises from his chair with fierce eyes, wearing his father's wide coat and stepping out of the room, as if he were heading for battle, leaving her confused still listening to the conversation of the adults.

"I can find a job for dad not to work so hard and take care of both of us! "

The laughter of the three men echoes loudly into the hallway of the hospital, and to her surprise, Cheryl couldn't help but smile.

"Give us a chance. " Fred calms down. "She's been here for days, the whole town has heard about the incident and no one has looked for her. "

Cheryl would have heard the rest of the conversation if the revelation, though obvious, didn't make her clutch her knees and sob uncontrollably. The tears flow as a desperate relief and don't stop until Archie comes back and put his hand on hers and smile. He has large cheeks, which will probably subside when puberty arrives, but which make him look even sweeter.

Fred Andrews comes in with dark circles under his eyes and a tired smile. She knows it's cold outside and yet there he is, in a thin shirt while Archie wears his coat because the boy's is still on her shoulders.

"Hey, you're awake." Fred smiles at her. He and Archie have the same smile, even if Fred doesn't have his cheeks. "You gave us a fright, Miss Blossom. "

Cheryl looks down. She is stubborn and defiant and would normally have a bite for anyone approaching, defending herself, but his eyes are soft and welcoming and people doesn't look at her that way. No Blossom other than Jason looked at her that way.

"Do you like to fly? Have you ever traveled in an airplane? Dad and I have just made a collection of miniatures hanging from the ceiling of my bedroom, you will love it! " Archie flounces on the bed, swinging the mattress and making Fred place a reproving hand on his shoulder.

"We still need to ask her, little guy." He smiles again, something they both do with a frequency that Cheryl doesn't understands. "What do you say, Miss Blossom? I know you must be scared, and you've suffered a terrible loss, but I promise, if you want us, we'll take care of you as family. Right, champion? "

Archie simply smiles.

Cheryl could be moved by the invitation to be taken care of by a real family and she could be moved by the gentle condolences, but all she records is Fred Andrews calling her, a thirteen-year-old girl from 'Miss Blossom' , as if he knew she liked being called that way to feel important and mature.

"Can we... Try?" She finally asks shyly.

"That's all we're asking for. " Fred looks relieved in his new smile.

"She can go. " The doctor, who watched discreetly, nods. "She'll be fine, but she needs a stable environment and healthy meals. I would like to have a word on psychological counseling if possible, Mr. Andrews. "

"Take our guest to the car, Archie? " Fred, without necessary words, agrees with the doctor. "Can you walk, my dear? "

_Dear._

It's another strange word to her. But she nods, still shy, trying to fit herself into comfort that's snuggling around her like never before. A nurse helps her dress in clothes that, surprisingly, the Andrews bought while she was sleeping.

In the hallway, Archie is standing at the door where the doctor and his father talk. When he sees her, he exhibits a big smile and approaches pompously, bowing like a nobleman.

"Dad said I need to be good and respectful. " He holds out his hand. "Can I escort you to the car, Miss Blossom?"

She let him settle so that her arm is entwined with his and they walk in a strangely comfortable silence to the truck.

 

Cheryl feels anxious in the lobby of the little house. It's different from the Blossom mansion, it doesn't have the ostentatious elegance, the crystals, the silverware, the velvety rugs, but it seems so simple, so cozy, like a real home that now she's not sure she's ever met.

Archie arranges his bed for her and Fred jokes that it is the first time he does. The boy sits on an inflatable mattress and formally presents his collection of small airplanes. Everything is offered: If she is hungry, how many blankets suffice, if she wants them to look for anything in the mansion, if she prefers to leave the lamp on. Archie even offers to sing a song.

And Cheryl, surrounded by this strange affection, despite the nightmares that make her wake up sweaty and trembling three times during the night, having Archie's hand extended to her from his mattress on the floor every three times, sleeps soundly, as she didn't think that she would sleep this soon.

Next morning, with the sun high and the clock ticking almost ten o'clock, there's a tray on the counter with a glass of juice, pancakes and a bowl of cherry jelly. Cheryl's eyes widen appalled at the vegan pancakes, and her heart is filled with unprecedented and unexpected warmth. How could the Andrews know she's vegan? Archie watched her lunch at school?

She feels she needs to stand up and attest to the truthfulness of this delicate gesture. She sneaks silently into the short corridor toward the stairs until she hears Archie's laughter, clink of nails and the sound of wood being dragged into a room next to the boy's room. There are boxes at the end of the hall named "Fred's Office".

As if she understood without needing explanations, tears accumulate in her eyes and she dares to spy in the crack of the door.

Fred is setting up a bed while Archie carefully passes the sandpaper under an old Victorian headboard, laughing at the dust that irritates his nose. There are burgundy curtains in the window and a dressing table, which probably belonged to Archie's mother, a picture of her forgotten hanging in the oval mirror.

"You think she'll like it? " Archie asks worried. "What if she hates the red curtains I chose? "

"That's burgundy. " Fred laughs. "If she doesn't like it, we'll change the furniture and the decor until it works, kid, until we can make her feel home. Righ, champion? "

Again, the full smile is overflowing from Archie's face.

"Right, Dad! "

She cries with a plate of vegan pancakes on Archie's bed, filled with a wave of comforting emotions, torn between despairing of the loss of her family and allowing herself to dream of being really taken care of by the Andrews as if they had her as their own caste.

The world doesn't make sense now and she's so confused and so exhausted. She wants to see Jason and leave flowers for him. She wants to cry for Penelope, even if she doesn't deserve it. She wants a picture of Nana Rose. She wants to forget that Clifford once existed, either extinguish it from her memories, guarding only the random sweetness of her grandmother, the protection and love of her brother, the smile that her mother offered her once, and leave everything the space remaining for the two men who welcomed her into their house.

Fred said they'll make it work. Archie held that promise with enthusiasm.

She wants to try to make it work too.

Even without knowing if one day she might feel like she has a family again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for getting here! Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> See you guys soon. :)
> 
> Find me on Twitter: @dokkstormur


	2. Fourteen years: The protector and the confidant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. :)

"Betty Cooper has a crush on you, Archibald." Cheryl lets out on an autumn afternoon, where Fred revels in the small yard, and they two lie side by side on Archie's bed, his head hanging out of the mattress and his feet with long socks stretched out against the wall.

"What? Of course she doesn't, don't be silly. " He snorts in a good mood, as usual.

"Are you not aware of the fascinated way she looks at you? As if you were the masterful hero of a Homeric tale that stole the stars from the sky for her? "

"Jeez, you make it sound like we're really in Homer's poetry, you know that? "

"It's wise for me to make it sound spectacular, so you'll think about it, what you wouldn't do if I sounded too casually. " She smiles charmingly, bitting and chewing gently on a twizzler.

"You always talk like that, don't play with me! " He tickles her ribs, making her fold up laughing in the sheets.

"Archie and Betty sitting on the tree..." She sings merrily.

"Okay, Cheryl Blossom, you asked for it! " Archie pushes his feet against the wall and bends to grab her with one leg and bring his foot closer to her face, making her squirm with a grimace.

"Disgusting, Archibald, don't you wash your socks?"

"I said, you were asking for it! " He laughed excitedly.

They embark on a battle of tickling, letting the twizzlers scramble and fall from the bed, laughing loudly and unconcernedly, until they simply stop and face each other with joyful tears in their eyes and softly mirrored smiles.

"Would it be so bad if Betty liked you, Archibald?"

"I don't know. I don't think I like her that way. I mean, we're friends, we've always been best friends, she's our neighbor, but I don't know, I would know if I liked her... In my heart? "

"I'm sure you'll feel it soon, and she'll be a marvelous girl."

"Have you ever been in love, Miss Blossom?" Suddenly he seems very deep and focused on his questioning.

'Miss Blossom' became, in only three months, a recurring title. Fred and Archie simply calls her that, in a very tender tone, getting used to the deal.

Cheryl returns in her mind to her old life with her family and curls up in bed, overwhelmed by the fear and trauma of her legacy. She remembers being twelve and feeling her heart warmed by the only friend she ever had besides Jason, Heather. She remembers her mother freaking out and hurting her with her hands and words. Of seeing Heather disappear from Riverdale, and for not understanding the reasons for that circus of horrors, to bury the feeling and truth she discovered so early in her mind never to revive it again. Jason, Penelope, and Heather were the only ones who knew. The two took the secret to the grave and the last one took it to a place Cheryl will never know.

"Hey..." Archie holds her hand. Now his hands are bigger and his cheeks are much smaller. But the hands are still warm and the smile is still bright. "You don't have to say anything, but I'm here, right? "

"I know. " She allows herself to smile.

"Knock, knock! " Fred announces, coming in with two cups of hot chocolate. "Where are my favorite redheads? "

"Do you know other redheads besides us? " Archie mocks.

"I can always drink your chocolate and send you to prepare another one in the kitchen, which by the way is very cold today... "

"You are my favorite brunette, even though I know many others. " The boy hurries to mend it.

Cheryl laughs at their fun and innocent interaction. They are always like this.

"Thank you, Fred. " She accepts the cup cheerfully.

"Archie, did you get that homework for Cheryl? " Fred folds his arms as he hands the cups over.

"Whoops... " Archie closes his eyes. "I may have forgotten... ?"

"Have you?" Fred laughs at his guilty tone. "Go get it with Betty, please. "

Archie knows it's a justification for leaving them alone. He gently squeezes Cheryl's hand one last time, awkwardly pulls off his shoes and runs downstairs to call Betty.

Fred sits down beside her and rests his hands on his knees as she stares at the steaming cup in her own hands. "One year. Can I ask how the session was? "

"It was great. " She smiles weakly. "The doctor thinks I'm ready to go to visit. "

"What do you think? "

"I don't know." She admits in a whisper. "But I want to try. "

"Can I be there? And Archie?" The question sounds more hesitant than he intended, almost as if he were shy.

Cheryl finally finds his dark and soft eyes and doesn't want to collapse in tears, not anymore. Things make more sense now. And this is due to him and Archie too. "I would like this. "

They both gave her all the space, though Archie constantly conveyed his affection by taking her hands in his and smiling. Fred, however, kept his own affection through every little gesture, from the words to the vegetarian dishes, taking to the psychologist, talking, trying to provide everything that could make her comfortable in a point between her daily life with the Blossom and her new daily life with the Andrews. He always smiled and shows he's proud, both of her and of Archie, always equally, always warmly.

This time, he leans over and holds her hands, as Archie does, and Cheryl swallows the tears. "Then I'll be there all the time, Miss Blossom. "

 

He keeps his promise.

Archie is wearing a blue-navy suit that fits him nicely, as well as black gloves and polished shoes, holding three bouquet of flowers at the entrance to the Blossom cemetery. The black velvet overcoat is also handsome on Fred, who confidently extends his hand to her. Cheryl, in her white dress, with her belt, high heels, and red lipstick, as she was wearing last time Jason and she sailed on the Sweetwater River, accepts the invitation, leaving her gloved hand in white lace to be guided by his rough steady hand.

Three marble graves side by side in Thornhill.

Names and dates.

Roseanne, Penelope and Jason Blossom.

And a wide empty space on each gravestone.

"Where are...?" Cheryl begins, confused.

"We convinced the mayor to leave it empty." Fred explains a little shy, scratching the back of his neck. "We thought you might want to stone the final messages when you were ready. "

Cheryl swallows hard and can no longer contain the burning tears. When the first sob escapes her throat and makes her shudder, Archie pulls her into his arms, tight and warm. She doesn't let go of Fred's hand.

She doesn't think she can ever let go.

She doesn't think she can let go of either of them now and still stand on her legs. She clings to Fred's hand and Archie's embrace as two powerful lifelines. And she feels now as if she can remember, without falling apart, everything she has experienced, from the most horrifying to the most enjoyable event, with the Blossom family. She may remember Jason, his beloved twin brother, not wanting to be with him.

It is not, however, as desperate as Cheryl thought it would be.

Not until they get back in the car and Archie tells a silly joke.

Not until they have sandwiches and milkshakes in the living room for dinner, in front of the television for the first time, circumventing Fred's rules, permission given by himself, as a little mischievous amusement after Cheryl's challenge today.

Not until she falls asleep believing she's made a big step forward.

Not until she wakes up sweating cold, gasping, choking, trembling from head to toe, rising with a shrill scream.

The hallway lights up and Fred's muffled voice commands Archie to return to the bed, with no room for protest. He cautiously enters to sit beside her and, again, hold her hand. He asks nothing. He just looks at her with kindness and patience. And Cheryl absorbs the stream of thoughts that was locked and secure, as if she was finally aware of the facts only after seeing the graves.

They're all gone.

"They're gone... Each one of them." Tears flow fluently on her face.

Fred leans over and kisses her forehead, bringing her into a hug, completely ignoring the fact that he'll have to wake up soon, two hours earlier than normal, due to inspection on the job. "I'm sorry, my dear. "

Cheryl tightens and acknowledges his sincerity. Fred has been honest with her since day one. He never promised anything he couldn't keep. He didn't guarantee she would feel all the pain at the beginning of the loss or afterwards. He didn't advise her that it would be easier to deal sooner or later.

He didn't say the pain would go away.

He said he would take care of her and here he is, hugging her as his parents never hugged, welcoming their fears as Clifford and Penelope never did.

When she wakes up again, Fred is sitting on the floor, reclining on the bed, sleeping soundly with his hand over hers. Archie sneaks in, puts a blanket over his body, and Cheryl puts a pillow behind his head against the bed. The two redheads come down and prepare a delicious breakfast, soiling each other's nose with flour and peanut butter. Archie doesn't comment about last night, but his complicit gaze reinforces that he is there for her.

Cheryl knows.

It's scary how much she knows.

After that night, she still has many nightmares. In all of them, terror after terror, Fred and Archie are immediately at her side, with their smiles and comforting hands. No words. No promises. And yet, sooner or later, without premeditation, without Cheryl even realizing it, it gets easier. The pain doesn't go away, but it softens.

Somehow, it gets better.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for getting here! Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> See you guys soon. :)
> 
> Find me on Twitter: @dokkstormur


	3. Fifteen years: When they break, she's the one who fix them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. :)

Fred is distressed as he organizes Archie's backpack and Cheryl's cross bag. The two watch him at the kitchen table, sheepish and curious about his behavior, but Fred cann't help it. The first day in high school is a big event, he thinks.

"Riverdale High, here we go. " He sighs after facing, for exactly five minutes, Cheryl and Archie with their new uniforms.

In front of the school, Archie doesn't care about snooping glances and strongly hugs his father. Fred leans over and kisses Cheryl's forehead, wishing them good luck. It's strange, because most faces are familiar, but still everything looks new. Archie offers one arm to her and one to Betty, who jumps out of the car with Polly, the three slowly inhaling the air as they enter.

It seems simple and promising in the early days. Cheryl is talented and the cheerleading team is so impressed that she's soon promoted to captain since the last captain moved from town to the end of the last year. Archie, equally talented, is chosen quarterback and is well liked by his teammates. Cheryl, on the other hand, is composed and distant, always picking up her walls and not letting anyone in.

Except, of course, Archie and Fred.

Between classes, although Cheryl spends her time with the Vixens or with Josie McCoy, the musical star of the college, and Archie stays with Betty, Jughead Jones and Kevin Keller, they both look for each other in the corridors and the cafeteria, almost as if they try to ensure, without saying, that everything is going well.

Even when Veronica Lodge enters their lives, enchanting Archie and clawing with Cheryl, the two don't let this get in the way. Occasionally Cheryl will have a clash with Veronica and Archie will continue to sigh hearts for her, but they will not talk about it, their understandings and misunderstandings don't interfere with their relationship. Veronica likes her and she likes Veronica, even if silently.

She continues with the psychological accompaniment and eventually life unfolds around them and the three go through the daily challenges always together, Cheryl, Archie and Fred. The redhead thinks less and less about the ghosts of her past.

Fred's financial difficulties, which barely restrained the tears in his eyes when Cheryl sold her grandmother's inherited jewels and apologized for not being able to help further until she could touch the Blossom heritage until the appropriate age, also improved with the time and modern designs for the city.

She is Archie's emotional supporter when the boy confesses to Fred that he doesn't want to follow the family business and doesn't care so much about football, wishing to become a musician. And Cheryl encourages him, because Archie is talented and humble and she just wants him to be happy.

But she didn't see the chaotic storm forming over their heads.

None of them saw it.

Cheryl investigates when she notices the signs and discovers that Miss Grundy, the Music teacher for whom Archie is drooling and daydreaming, has a dense history of underage pupils, seducing them and disappearing as things begin to get serious and more dangerous.

It was her game. Seduce boys, put them at her feet and disappear.

Unable to tell Fred, she shares the information with Betty, not hesitating to call Miss Grundy what she really is: A sexual predator. Fortunately, Betty agrees.

And ut's more terrible than she thought. The denunciation, the exposure, the cold separation of the teacher and the devastated Archie. Archie screaming furiously and hurt with her and Betty, refusing to listen to anyone, not even Veronica when the brunette tried to defend them from his harsh words.

Cheryl walks home alone, thanking Veronica and Betty's company offer, claiming she needed to be alone for a while. She wonders, unable to help herself, if this broke her with Archie and can take her away from him and Fred. For a long time she hadn't thought about the possibility of being away from them and now she realizes that it crushes her heart.

 

Her thoughts dwindle when she finally enters the Andrews house and hears Fred's cries. She could expect everything except the man pointing to the boy on the couch, cowering, tears in his eyes.

"What were you thinking?! They could have kicked you out of the school! "

"I wasn't thinkin..."

"Of course you weren't thinking, Archibald!" He interrupts.

"I thought she loved me! " He defends himself, hurt.

"Don't act like a child, Archibald Andrews, what was that for?! It was for the Music, was it to impress your football friends?! Answer me! "

"Fred! " Cheryl finally exclaims, interfering between them like a shield.

Fred silences and looks at them as if he's waking from a lapse. His eyes widened in terror as they had never seen, and the man almost staggered out, the thump of the door and his quick footsteps being the last sound heard.

Cheryl turns to Archie and the boy, in tears, can't face her.

"I didn't want to yell at you or get angry... I'm so sorry, Cheryl... "

She sighs and hugs him, letting him stroke her tear-stained face in her flawless red cloak, caressing his short hair. When the crying calms down, she convinces him to take a shower and rest and, as soon as recovered, apologize to Betty and Veronica.

Fortunately and sweetly, Archie complies with the recommendation.

She picks up a blanket and goes to the small porch, finding Fred with his face hidden in his shirt, pretending not to feel the strong wind of late afternoon. She covers him, sits next to him and watches the quiet street. It's strange to take care of them when, since they have found her in the burning barn, their two have taken care of her.

"Miss Grundy is a sexual predator. " She finally begins.

"I know. " Fred whispers in defeat.

"She attracted him with something she knew he loved. Music. She seduced him and manipulated him. "

"I know. "

"He's just a boy, Fred. He has doubts and fears that he might not share with you and maybe he was feeling alone and none of us saw it. She did it before and if we didn't say anything she would do it again. "

Cheryl knows this because it's how she's always felt and Jason was the only one who could see her.

"I know. I made him feel guilty. He was scared of me, you two were."

Cheryl gently touches one of his hands on the blanket. "You're the best father in the world for Archie. You're the best tutor I could ask for. You're the best man I know, Frederick Andrews. It wasn't you who taught me that none of us are perfect when perfection has always been demanded of me? "

"Frederick?" He laughs, his crimson red face glowing in the act. "Are you the one who's taking care of us now, Cheryl Marjorie Blossom?"

Cheryl didn't laugh in response. She frowns and stares at him solemnly. "I care about you both. "

Fred seems surprised by the sudden statement, but the smile doesn't disappear from his face. "We care about you too. More than you know, Miss Blossom."

"Fix it, Frederick Andrews. Fix it immediately. "

Cheryl drags him by the hands like a child into the house and up stairs, finding Archie curled up in his bed with wet hair and shorts, looking more fragile than ever.

The boy looks at the open door and sighs hoarsely. "She never liked me or my music, did she? She was just... "

"Archie..." Cheryl mutters softly.

"I'm an idiot." He growls to himself.

"No, you're not. " Fred sits on the bed and touches his shoulder. "You're a good boy. You always try to see and have the best of all people. Be proud of yourself for this as much as I'm proud of you."  
Archie falls into his father's arms, hugging him. Glancing over his shoulder, he reaches out a hand to Cheryl, who doesn't hesitate to approach, sitting next to Fred and clutter her fingers awkwardly with his.

"Thank you. Thank you for taking care of me and protecting me. I promise I will always take care and protect you too. I promise, Cheryl. "

 

When the night comes, Fred retires early due to recent stressful events, but Archie and Cheryl can't sleep. Cheryl sits on the porch, staring at the stars, a cup of tea in her hands. She barely notices when a blanket is wrapped around her shoulders and Archie sits by her side, surprisingly with her old guitar hanging.

He stares at her, his eyes still red with old tears. "I... I wrote a song. "

"You're always writing a song. " She smiles playfully.

He can't help but smile back. "I know, but this one is... About you. Us. "

She almost knocked the tea down on the floor, her eyes widening, her heart racing with the revelation.

Archie wrote a song about her.

"Archie... "

"You're my best friend. I know, I always said it's Betty, but it's different. You know everything about me. Good and bad. You saw me break and helped put me back together even when I didn't deserve it. "

"Can you... " She whispers. "Can you sing it? "

And then he smiles that same soft smile, now with fewer cheeks, which he offered to her in that hospital. A smile that makes her feel protected and welcomed.

Her best friend.

He leans over the guitar and starts strumming softly, almost as if no one else should listen to what was composed just for the two of them. He hummed, testing his voice, a flush on his neck, but he faces it, looking her in the eyes again.

_I'm sailing on the scarlet river_  
_Surrounded by the cherry trees_  
_Above me there's a crimson sky_  
_Inside me my red heart still beats_

It starts so soft and devout she think it could be a mantra.

_Against the flow a lady is swimming_  
_Redder than all things around me_  
_I offer her my hand, I give her my best smile_  
_"Red Lady, won't you come up here? "_

He smiles and winks at her, his right foot making a percussion on the floor, his voice rising sharply, opening his smile.

_She seems so solitary_  
_Good Lord, she looks so scared_  
_She swims against the current_  
_To reach I don't know where_

Tears gather in her eyelids and she feels as if her chest is being exposed and gentle hands caress her heart.

_Red Lady take my hand_  
_Hold on and sail with me_  
_Together we can find_  
_A place where we can be happy_

He picks up the first strumming, softening, the bright eyes of his own resurgent tears.

_I'm sailing on the scarlet river_  
_She's right beside, paddling with me_  
_I realize that she's the wheeling compass_  
_To guide me where I have to be_

And then he whispers, intimate, letting a single tear trickle down.

_I realize that she's the red missing part_  
_To make my red heart keep beating..._

"Archie... " She cries, grabbing his wrist.

"I know it sounds cheesy and it's still just a draft, but I meant it when I said I'll always protect you, and I will not forget you always protect me too. We sail together. Okay, Miss Blossom? Together. "

She throws herself in his arms and they embrace each other, the guitar forgotten on the floor, the silence entwining the night and comforting them with the stars above. He's right, she knows he is.

Since the day he and Fred had saved her in the barn, they were always together. And they will always be.

 

And yet, neither she nor Archie had the slightest idea that keeping the promise to protect each other would come the following year, in the midst of a nightmare none of them could predict.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for getting here! Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> I tried to make the song seem... Immature, somehow, as one of his first songs. I hope it worked.
> 
> See you guys soon. :)
> 
> Find me on Twitter: @dokkstormur


	4. Sixteen years: Where the monsters and the heroes live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. :)

Cheryl doesn't understand why she's taken to the principal's office. Weatherbee just orders her to sit and wait and no other information is given. She writhes impatiently in the waiting room until Fred Andrews comes in like a hurricane and lets out a huge breath of air from his lungs, relieved as he pulls her up and hugs her with an absurd force.

"You're here, you're okay. "

"Fred, what's going on...? "

"He was seen." His tone is grave and almost hostile. "Clifford Blossom was seen in Riverdale. "

Cheryl doesn't remember losing consciousness. She wakes up on the couch of the Andrews house with a headache and legs resting on the thighs of a very worried and restless Archie, stamping his feet on the rug and looking for a random crack in the ceiling.

"Thank you, Sheriff Keller. " Fred greets. "Keep us informed, please. "

Fred sits in his chair as Cheryl sits under Archie's arm in the back, blinking and massaging her temple, the facts clearing in her mind. Fred tells them that Clifford Blossom was seen in the vicinity of the mansion and disappeared without leaving clues, but also that the local police are patrolling the city and they will not rest until they find him or prove that the murderer is no longer in their jurisdiction.

Cheryl tries not to show distress.

For a whole week she stays calm and composed. Archie, Veronica, Betty, Josie and Kevin try to distract her in the school, while Jughead seems more sensible to keep quiet, because the more open the intentions of the group, the more Cheryl thinks about it. And all this week, no sign of Clifford Blossom.

Although the indiscretion of colleagues around, there's something precious in the way they behave. Archie is more protective than ever. Veronica is more affectionate than ever. Josie is more constant than ever. Kevin is more considerate than ever. Betty, who is usually reclusive in her thoughts, tries to talk whenever she can about her books, a predilection they share. Jughead, always serious, surprisingly smiles at her from time to time. It may be a little scary, but she appreciates the attempt.

On a particularly stressful day, an idiot from the football team practically screams in the hallways: _'"Papa Blossom came back to finish the job. How long until that redhead bitch returns to the hospital or straight to their creepy cemetery? "_

Cheryl is petrified in the middle of the hallway. She is aware that she would not normally look at the screamer, simply tossing her embellished sharp words, breaking his legs.

But not now.

Not in the face of his father's mysterious return.

She can't fight it, not yet.

It's too soon.

It's when Veronica Lodge comes into the snoopy crowd and hits her knee between the player's legs, the boy's howling echoing and tearing out the students' surprised sounds and giggling. Veronica looks at them with ice in her eyes, clenched fists, determined and unrepentant. When the director leads her to a warning for the assault, Cheryl and Archie wait until the brunette is released. Archie kisses her proudly, as if she were some sort of heroine, and Cheryl plunges into her embrace with silent gratitude.

Each one, in their own way, they're here for her.

When Cheryl realizes Fred has not live decently since the news about Clifford, she feels she has to prove to him and to everyone that everything is in some way normal and fine. So when Josie invites them to a big secret party with an absurd amount of alcohol and an exclusive Pussycats show, it seems like the perfect opportunity.

Fred is reluctant, but Archie claims they can't stay worried forever and Clifford Blossom wouldn't appear in the middle of a teenage party with some somber purpose. Cheryl wants him to understand.

Cheryl wants him to go back to a normal life, without the shadow of a madman on his back to protect her.

Under colored lights, with tequila shots and bottles of beer, Cheryl confesses to herself that she also wants to forget that her father is still alive. She wants to ignore its existence, as she has been successfully trying for the past three years.

Because everything is fine now. Fred and Archie are docile and good and Cheryl can't think about losing their kind eyes to facing the cruel and cold of Clifford.

She's so lost in the misunderstanding of why her father would return to Riverdale that the alcohol enters her body like an illustrious guest, making her numb and slow. The control fades quickly when an handsome boy introduces himself and offers her champagne. Cheryl doesn't hesitate. It's lethargic. Nick St. Clair dances and smiles like a naughty devil and Cheryl can't think anymore. As if the world were gradually darkening.

In the hall, with loud music and dodgy dancers, darkening.

In a hallway of many doors, silent and muffled, darkening.

For a moment she wonders if it's better this way, just to get dark and not be able to feel anything else. But a brief second lasts, when involuntary tears fall from her eyes at the same time that her body, weak and dizzy, is thrown on the bed.

She can see him.

She can see him untying his tie and unbuttoning his suit. She can't move or speak, she can't protest or defend herself. Her consciousness divides herself between terror and ignorance that her world could become even more miserable after the Blossom massacre.

Even losing the last wire of onsciousness, though, her stomach mess with alcohol and relief as a hand grabs Nick's shoulder and pushes him away before he can even touch her, the boy stumbling backward into the large room.

Veronica Lodge, clenched and trembling, places herself between them like a shield, while Josie McCoy sits on the bed and brings her into her arms, repeating in whispers that everything will be fine, though Cheryl can't take her eyes off of Veronica and the boy now smiling and presumptuous.

"You... You pig... " She gasps in her fury.

"Come on, Lodge... Don't tell me you got jealous and came to join us... There's enough of me for you both, or enough of her for us both... "

"Shut your damn mouth! " Josie interferes.

"And what are you going to do to shut me up, kitt..."

Suddenly the door opens a second time and everything happens in the blink of an eye. Cheryl feels Josie's grip intensify, she hears Veronica take two steps back and, with heavy eyelids, she watches the startling scene unfolding before her. Archie invades the room like a wild beast and hits a punch in Nick St. Clair's face, the impact pushing him into the mirror on the wall on the other side, shattering it and ending up covered with large shards of glass. Archie doesn't stop. He grabs him by the collar and throws him to the ground, immobilizing him kneeling over his body and hitting one, two, three punchs on his face again. His fists are covered in blood and grunts come out of his mouth in an angry frenzy.

"Archie, stop it, you're going to kill him!" Betty enters with Kevin and tries to pull him behind by his waist, being hurled back against the Kevin on the without a slightest effort.

"You...! " Archie punches the boy's nose as he growls "You'll regret...! " Nick's weak fingers try to push him in vain, getting more punches in his swollen face. "For touching her, looking at her! I'm gonna break you, you damn pervert! "

"Archie!" Veronica manages to hold his face and beg with startled eyes. "Archie, you're going to kill him! You have to stop, this is not you! "

Archie flashes hallucinatory as he wakes from a dream, shuffling away from the beaten aggressor moaning with pain on the floor. He trembles like a dying man and his knuckles pulse bloody.

"She... She's... " He whispers heavily and surprisingly a lonely tear trickles down his face stained with Nick's blood. "She's my sister... My sister, Ronnie... "

_Sister._

Cheryl still can barely move and the words explode soundlessly on her ears.

_Sister..._

The prospect hits her so violently that all the others seem to disappear from the room, leaving her and the upset redhead boy trying to hold his own cry.

"I know. " Veronica strokes his face and Nick grunts defeated beneath them. "I love her too, but you need to stop now, she needs you... "

Archie stands and staggers toward the bed. Cheryl finds her last strength, still echoing in her thoughts his "She's my sister" and Veronica's "I love her too", propelling herself with Josie to get up and find him in a tight hug and immediately both see each other with flowing tears against each other's shoulder.

Even though Cheryl now has no control over her body, her mind seems clean and embraced. They saved her. Josie and Veronica and Archie saved her and Betty and Kevin also came. They care. And the feeling, as always, as she has been absorbing since the murder of her family and Clifford's escape, is as strange as it is comforting.

 

When Archie holds her hand, Cheryl finds the courage to immediately press charges to Sheriff Keller, Kevin urgently calling his father in the middle of the night and meeting him at the police station. Veronica, finding her own courage in the acts of Cheryl, confesses that long ago St. Clair tried to do the same with her. They discover that there were a series of similar charges in the criminal system, all of which the bastard went unpunished.

Cheryl doesn't sleep that night. Veronica sleeps in Betty's house, leaving them when Archie gently expresses the desire for privacy. So the two redheads lie on Archie's bed, staring at the miniatures of his old, dusty airplanes. Cheryl, hugging him, can feel his heartbeat racing and his fingers, bruised from beating Nicholas and still shaking, clinging to her as if he had lost her and feared losing again.

Although she can't sleep, Cheryl thinks she's dreaming while the "sister" sounding still echoes in her troubled head of painful memories.

In the course of dark days, Archie holds her and Fred doesn't say a single word. His routine changes, though. Every day the guardian kisses her and Archie's forehead and for some time is silent. In the silence, Archie thinks his father is saying it's not his fault and that he should take care of her now. But Cheryl doesn't know what the man's silence is saying to her. There's a pain so hardly disguised in his eyes that she didn't dare ask.

 

Before the terrible memory lands in the tombs of their memories, Jughead rushes through the corridors and bursts into the cafeteria, breathless and ecstatic, staggering among the students and their trays to the table where Cheryl, Archie, Veronica, Josie, Betty and Kevin are having lunch.

"There you are! " Surprisingly, he smiles. He is never smiling.

"Jug! " Betty smiles brightly, leaving the others even more confused. "They did it, didn't they?"

"That's why I came as fast as I could. " An unexpected laugh sounds from him. "I wanted you to be the first to know. " He spread a crumpled newspaper in his hand.

"Have you decided to get married and open a newspaper together? That's so romantic! " Veronica mocks and Kevin giggles with the peach juice, almost staining his flawless sweater.

The boy rolls his eyes amusingly before entering Archie and Cheryl, who watch him with curiosity. He shows the overcrowded newspaper and opens a big smile.

And Cheryl's heart races.

She feels her chest open and throb like a spring flower blossoming in an absurdly fast-paced dimension of time and she barely notices Archie's hand wrapping her hand on the table.

The front page features a photo of Sheriff Keller with Nick St. Clair in handcuffs and in the background, hands in pockets and stern looks, Alice Cooper and Frederick Andrews.

And the headline. _"St. Clair Empire's heir is detained by local police after investigation conducted secretly and the case is transferred to the New York City court due to numerous other charges. "_

Betty happily takes the newspaper from her boyfriend hands and smiles at the article, reading it proudly. "The incredible story of how two suburban parents have mobilized with the dedicated Riverdale sheriff to bring justice to those who think they are above the law. Frederick Andrews, owner of the Andrews & Son Construction Company, and Alice Cooper, owner of The Register, proving that heroes may arise in the most unpredictable adversities, plunged into the improbable endeavor against the mighty St. Clair to gather evidence against the heir, with no guarantee of success, accepting all the risks. "

Archie gets up to take Betty and Jughead in a tight hug, but Cheryl is completely petrified. Her nails scratch the table and her eyes involuntarily tear up. Veronica bends to caress her wrist with gentle eyes, Kevin moves to stand beside her and put an arm around her shoulder, rubbing her arm gently and Josie kisses her hair.

"Archie... " She sounds frail, hanging by a thread. "Can we... Please? "

Archie contains his joy, nodding. Cheryl, standing shakily and dazed, kisses Kevin, Josie and Veronica's cheek in a silent thanks. To everyone's surprise, though without the scandal of Archie, she hugs Betty and smiles to the edge of tears for Jughead, who sighs satisfied.

"Betty? " She whispers. "Can you tell your mother... ? "

"I will. " The blonde smiles and knows what she means. "Now go. "

Archie laces his fingers to hers and the redheads leave the cafeteria. He looks electrified, his smile almost crossing the edges of his face, while Cheryl still tries to keep their tears stuck in her eyes, absorbing what she has just discovered. Fred's sleepless nights, the mysterious appointments, a delayed project. She wonders how much time was demanded of him, how much effort, especially the risks he suffered under the power and influence of the St. Clair.

When they arrive at Andrews & Son Construction, Archie controls his impetus to run to his father and reshapes his fingers to hers, firm and accomplice.

Fred is carrying two large blocks of stone when he sees them approaching, immediately dropping it on the ground, next to his feet. Standing, he takes off his hat and goggles, pulling the thick gloves with his teeth and giving them the same fate as the blocks.

Archie controls himself again, waiting for Cheryl to make the first move.

And she does.

No control or containment. Cheryl runs in her very thin high heels, ignoring the mud, ignoring the fear of tripping over debris and tools. It's like a kind of freedom, of breath she didn't realize she was holding.

In front of him, looking up at his soft eyes, she stops and her hands come back to trembling, her legs, her breast, her lips, trembling and faint, unable to react.

Fred opens his arms and smiles. "You can cry, little Miss Blossom. " A step forward, encouraging her and exchanging a brief glance with Archie. "You can cry as much as you need to. "

Cheryl falls into his arms and the tears flow uncontrollably from her eyes, blurring her makeup and consequently Fred's shoulder. His arms, like a protective refuge, hold her immediately. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... " She sobs with her hands tightening on his coat.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing is your fault. You don't have to apologize for anything. " He comforts. "I'm the one who apologizes to both of you for kept the secret, but I had to take care of you and I felt like a fool for not knowing what to say. Now it's over. It's all over, Miss Blossom. "

Her arms wrap around Fred's trunk and she buries her face in his chest, soaking it with more tears. Archie comes silently to hug his father aside and use his free hand to stroke her long hair, bending over to kiss the red strings and whisper, as if telling her a secret. "It's over, Cherry. " The nickname sounds graceful in his soft voice. "He got caught. He will not get away with it. He will never come back. "

The realization makes Cheryl wants to scream until her voice fades into a painful triumph.

Nick St. Clair is behind the bars.

He can never hurt her or any other girl again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for getting here! Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> See you guys soon. :)
> 
> Find me on Twitter: @dokkstormur


	5. Seventeen years: The shooting star with a leather jacket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. :)

Despite Archie and Fred's unconditional support and countless therapy sessions, Cheryl seems more locked inside herself than ever. Archie, Veronica, Betty, Jughead, Kevin and Josie are always around and she can't say she doesn't appreciate the company. But it's inevitable and involuntary and affects every one of them, although they don't manifest themselves over it. Cheryl is more distant and quiet, focused on studies and teaching painting in the week's vacant hours.

Everything to keep her mind away from any traumatic event.

It's not so unbearable until the day Josie invites them all to a festival in Greendale where the Pussycats will be the main attraction. Cheryl can't explain her immediate refusal, convincing them that she prefers to be with Fred, though none of them knows except for Archie that Fred would be at the company all weekend. The boy, however, seems to understand her and, marked by the events of the last year, insists on refusing the invitation not to leave her alone, and Cheryl expresses, with great determination, for him to trust her.

Archie trusts her. Always.

Cheryl walks slowly along the banks of the Sweetwater River, where she used to play with Jason at the season's fall. Her melancholy sighs echoes with the whistling of the great trees when she sees the little boat tied to a log. JJ, with his legs stretched out and open, would row the red boat with his bright smile as she played with her fingers on the surface of the cold water.

She feels she has been with him for an eternity, and at the same time been with him no more than a day ago.

Even in the graveyard of her most playful memories, she convinces herself that she would rather not be anywhere else. Archie is with Ronnie, Betty with Jug, Kevin with Joaquin and Josie with Reggie.

As much as everyone cares to enmeshed her, solitude is better company than giving false smiles to undoubtedly happy people.

When she sees the flowery clearing where she used to lie down and tell stories with her brother, however, Cheryl rushes to the other side.

Evenings can be hectic, but summer afternoons at Pop's are conveniently quiet and cool. Pop Tate smiles and waves, knowing exactly what she will order. A strawberry milkshake with a delicious cherry on top and vegan biscuits that the chef secretly prepares exclusively for her.

It should be the end of an undisturbed day, where Archie and the others would only be back at dusk, and she would cast her pale face with neutrality again. It should finally be simple.

_Clink clink_ – The doorbell sounds and Cheryl's eyes widen.

Mr. and Mrs. St. Clair enter solemnly and grimly, not greeting Pop Tate, just snapping their fingers at the earlier phone call. Cheryl shrinks in her booth, doesn't want to be seen, doesn't want to be judged, reminded of a nightmare of which, she understands more than ever, is not guilty.

Archie and her friends are there to defend her. Fred is not there to save her.

And Cheryl knows she's stronger than before, she knows she can take care of herself, she can protect herself, insurmountable.

But if so, why does she suddenly feel so lonely and helpless?

"Well, look if it's not the little slut that destroyed our lives. " Mr. St. Clair stares his venomous eyes over her.

"Honey... " The wife whispers resignedly, trying to avoid a scandal.

"We don't have to be ashamed." He growls. "It's her fault and... "

"The fault belongs exclusively to that pervert bastard. " Cheryl stands up, defending herself. "If you think you can pester me and insult me to defend your criminal son, Sir, you must be as bestial and hideous as he is. "

"How dare you, you... ?! "

"I think it's time for you to go." A voice sounds steady, the threat veiled in pitch, abruptly interrupting the inevitable offense the old man would say against Cheryl.

Cheryl doesn't know where she came from, but recognizes her. She's tiny, the waves of her pink hair falling on her shoulders, on the green serpent on the back of her black leather jacket. A Southside Serpent, interfering, standing between the redhead and the embittered couple. In tow, two boys taller than her, strong, arms crossed like their guardians. A jacket like Toni tied around one of them and a jeans vest with the same symbol of the gang tightening the muscles of the other.

It's the trio of Serpents who walks with Jughead Jones down the corridors of Riverdale High.

"Who do you think you are to... ?! " St. Clair begins again indignantly.

"Leave. " The tiny brave girl insists. "And stay away from her. "

The determination would move her if Cheryl hadn't been so surprised. "

"This rubbish is not worthy of our time. " Grunts the man, hurrying away, almost dragging the wife who still tries to keep her pride intact.

"I'm sorry, Pop. " The tiny girl's voice softens, the trio still with her back to Cheryl. "I'll pay for the meal they didn't take. "

"It's not necessary. " Pop smiles, holding two full sacks. "Take it. You did a good deed and deserve it. "

The two boys rush to get their meal and run to a booth, waving in thanks. Cheryl observes her unexpected rescuer and realizes she moves a step, as if she's considering to leave. Surprising her again, she turns and, beautiful as Cheryl had never noticed, opens a kind smile. "Are you okay? " She whispers, approaching cautiously.

Cheryl nods. She doesn't think she can utter a single word.

"I'm sorry for intruding... I didn't want to bother you. "

Cheryl shakes her head vigorously, denying it, silently assuring her gratitude.

"That was pretty badass, by the way. " She smiles again and Cheryl thinks, involuntarily, she could get used to this cozy smile. "I'm Toni, Toni Topaz. "

This time it's Cheryl who smiles. "Cheryl Blossom. "

"I know. "

"You know who I am? " She tilts her head.

"I know your name. " A sagacious laugh echoes from her. "Who are you? I don't know. Not yet. "

Cheryl knows this is the time when it all begins.

Approaching in the cafeteria, where she's enchanted in the table of Serpentes, all smiling and free, provoking and having fun. As a child, the Blossom said that the South Side was the criminal scum of Riverdale, and now, after all the family drama and the discovery of Toni Topaz and her friends, she holds to herself that it's just the opposite when it comes to Blossoms and Serpents.

Taks in pairs, where both are much more concerned to talk, to know a little more about each other, than to actually study. Cheryl stores every piece of information, every bit of personality, as if they were invaluable treasures.

Toni and the photography. Toni and her grandfather. Toni and the day she joined the gang. Toni and her scars and tattoos. Toni and her angelic voice. Toni and the beauty, the goodness, the hope of her. Toni and the way her big brown eyes shine when she makes her laugh. Toni and her motorcycle, her heavy boots, her ripped jeans and her dream-colored hair.

_Antoinette Topaz_ , she reveals on a movie night, and Cheryl never repeated someone's name so incessantly, as a new, delicious flavor.

_Toni. Toni. Toni._

Fred and Archie embraced her for a new life, a new family, a new beginning, but Cheryl, though unwilling to share her anguish, constantly remembered what and who she lost, nor could she forget who took everything away from her.

When Toni holds her hand and they two run wildly to the Serpent's trailer, fleeing from the torrential rain, drenched in the door, trembling, gasping for breath from their ruined clothes and hairstyles, when Toni caresses her face with warm gentle hands, stretches on tiptoe in her short legs, closes her eyes and kisses her, Cheryl feels herself melting in such a way that their fears, all the traumas and damaging memories of a dark past, just disappear for the first time.

Her world, on the inside, is silent for the first time.

"Damn you, Cheryl Blossom... " She bites her lip, sighing. "I'm falling for you. Fast as this storm. "

 

The concept Cheryl has absorbed since she was twelve about "fall" can't explain how this fall in itself can be so absolutely remarkable.

Without the need for a nomenclature, letting herself be carried away by the lovely naturalness that permeates her when Toni is around, their two are so carefree, so absorbed in each other's presence that Cheryl doesn't notice Fred sitting on the porch in the dark drinking his coffee in the stillness of the night, when Toni parks her motorcycle at the Andrews house.

Toni leans over and Cheryl craves for her, hands wrapped in her hair, lips over hers, Toni's arms wrapping around her waist, the drag of her heels as the Serpent squeezes her before saying goodbye.

She almost staggers, dizzy with happiness, when the soft voice stops her.

"A Sperpent, hum?" Fred reveals himself, staring at her completely neutral.

"Fred... " She shudders, panic growing with her heartbeat.

She remembers her mother and Heather. Imprisoned by the terrifying memory of a choleric Penelope, her eyes involuntarily fill with tears, awaiting a similar reaction, a fury, a reproof.

One that never comes.

"She's pretty. She looks like a good girl. " Fred smiles sheepishly. "Is it because of her that you've been smiling so much lately, Miss Blossom? "

The tears almost escaped, holding them with the graceful surprise. "Yes. It's because of her. Her name is Toni. "

"Why don't you invite her to dinner with us on Friday? Archie and I are cooking. "

"Archie... " She swallows, not quite thinking about how Archie would react to the discovery. Nor she can avoid considering his support so indispensable.

"He still doesn't know? " He is surprised. "We can wait. Your time, my dear. You have time. "

"No. " Encouraged by his smile, Cheryl stiffens. "Archibald deserves the truth. "

"Don't feel pressured." Fred drops his coffee cup and approaches with his hands in his pockets. "This is about you, but I need to ask, my dear. Are you afraid of what Archie is going to say? "

The fear of rejection wraps her stomach again.

"Penelope... My mother. " Cheryl turns from his watchful eyes, folding her arms in discomfort. "She would never approve... "

The story buried over Heather and the Blossom suffocates in her throat.

"Hey..." He places a soft hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, we can talk about it when you're ready. "

"Won't you say anything? "

"Like what? " He seems curious.

"I don't know. " Inherent vulnerability in her voice almost makes her retreat. "A reprimand, a warning, a stern discourse about what I am doing. "

"What are you doing? Falling in love? " He laughs, blinking his understanding eyes. "Cheryl... If you're happy, I'm happy. I just want you to be happy. "

Cheryl doesn't know why she's unable to respond, but she holds him tightly before she can avoid it. He holds her in the embrace and his statement echoes in her thoughts, the sentence that has never been told her: Your happiness is my happiness.

She doesn't recognize the deal.

Someone being happy because she's happy.

"Speaking of lovers..." Fred breaks the comfortable silence. "Has Archie ever told you that I and Hermione Lodge dated in high school? "

Cheryl widens her eyes and doesn't think twice before dragging him into the living room and listening to him with enough material to tease Ronnie for the next ten years.

 

Friday comes too fast for Cheryl to get her nerves up. She's sure she'll flee as far as possible before the night ends each time Archie asks curious and excited about who they will be receveing for dinner. When the bell rings and she runs to the door gracefully, trying not to cram the red dress with snorting sleeves, all the fear, all the acute fears, marks of a haunted past, fall from her shoulders like a heavy dress that no longer serves her.

Toni is on the porch, smiling captivating. The Serpent jacket shines like new on an unexpected yellow sweater and pants délavé on a pair of sneakers too casual for her typical eccentric boots. The bouquet of lilies is almost the size of its trunk and Cheryl wants to photograph her, immortalize her just like that.

The spell is broken at the sound of swift steps in the lobby.

"Finally the mysterious... " Archie flung open the door on which Cheryl leaned, his eyes widening as he measures Toni Topaz, South Side Serpent, like Jughead, smiling on her porch with beautiful flowers on her arms.

"Andrews. " Toni is not let down by Cheryl's alert look.

Archie knows his mouth is moving, but no word is said.

"Here she is! " Fred comes out taking off his cook gloves. "Welcome to the Andrews-and-Miss-Blossom residence, Miss Topaz. "

"Mr. Andrews. " Toni smiles cordially and holds out a bottle that was under her arm. "Cheryl said you like wine. "

Fred inspects the bottle in amazement and smiles before marching in, murmuring happily. "We're keeping her, my dear. "

Archie follows him with his head in the clouds and Cheryl doesn't allow herself to spiral when Toni, still smiling, holds one of her trembling hands and kisses her softly, stroking her confidently.

It goes well.

Better than she'd expected.

Toni and Fred discuss projects that could improve the South Side conditions, they talk about Toni's passion for photography and laugh at the stories of Fred's confusions with FP Jones in high school.

Archie, on the other hand, avoids everyone's eyes, chewing nonstop, his feet shaking on the floor.

Under the table, Toni holds her hand all the time and that's all Cheryl needs to not be consumed by fear of Archie's distance.

"Okay, I'll do it. " Breaking the conversation, Archie stands abruptly, clapping his hands on the table, clinking the dishes and cutlery.

"Archibald..." Fred frowns.

Cheryl petrifies, brutally squeezing her girlfriend's hand.

"No." Archie shakes his head. "I prepared this speech all week waiting for one of the school guys, but it doesn't matter. Toni being a girl doesn't change anything. "

"Archie, I don't think... " Fred tries to intervene again.

"What are your intentions with Cheryl, Toni Topaz? "

It would have been comical if Cheryl had not been so terrified.

"Excuse me? " Toni keeps quiet, smiling with amusement.

"I mean... " Archie sighs. "You're going to take care of her? You're going to listen to her about romantic movies and philosophers that I do not know the names? You're going to take her to milkshakes at Pop's and confront the jerks around her? "

Fred drinks from the glass of wine, containing a laugh that Toni doesn't hesitate to echo. She can't help it, not when Archie seems so serious and determined about it, as if he's trying to intimidate her.

Like a _real brother_ , Cheryl thinks.

_A sweet, stupid cliché of a brother._

That's _all_ she can think about.

"I get it, Andrews. " Toni recomposes. "Cheryl said you're very protective. Everyone says you're a nice guy. "

"Please answer me. " He insists, blushing.

"Why are you being so hard on it, son? " Fred interferes, confused.

"Because I'm worried. " He reveals, wincing at the sight of how his tone grew hostile and very loud as he questioned her. "Because I don't want her to get hurt. " His gentle eyes finally find Cheryl still astonished. "Never. "

"Again, I get it, Andrews. " Toni smiles at him, taking Cheryl's hand on the table this time. "This is your lucky day. " Now she is staring at the redhead, raising her hand clasped to kiss hers again. "I would never hurt her intentionally. And yes, I will take care of her and listen about her romantic movies of cheerleaders, hear about philosophers that I also don't know the names, take her to Pop's and face the whole world because of her. How's it going for you? "

Archie looks as embarrassed as he is satisfied. "Good. Good. I'm sorry if I... "

"Strike 3, Andrews, I get it. " She laughs, kissing one, two, three times Cheryl's hand, unable to take her eyes off her. "I'm very aware of the treasure she is, and if we're being honest here, she's the one who takes care of me, all the time, wherever I go. "

Cheryl blushes brightly. And when Fred takes her other hand from his side of the table between his and kisses her, she fears that tears will come at any moment. "She's right. " He whispers. "Treasure. "

To everyone's new astonishment, Archie walks over to Toni's chair and pulls her up in a tight hug, hiding the calmed face on her shoulder, the Serpent muttering surprise, hugging him in returning.

Cheryl smiles for the first time since they settled in for dinner.

 

Fred summons Archie to wash the dishes after saying goodbye warmly and Toni thanks for the invitation, promising to come back more often to taste wine with Fred and beat Archie in the video game while Cheryl accompanies her to the porch, smiling and silent.

"We did it. " Toni smiles, hugging her by the waist.

"You did it. " Cheryl plays with her hair, the inevitable commotion in her voice making Toni snuggle closer to her. "They adore you. "

"I adore them too, babe. They care so much about you. "

For a moment, Cheryl contemplates her with a question on the tip of her tongue and Toni waits. She always waits for the right time for the redhead.

"Did you meant what you said...? " She begins, straying from her lovely gaze. "About me taking care of you? "

"Cheryl... Every word." She unites her hands to her own chest, her heart throbbing vigorously. "It's you. In every noisy turn at the Wyrm, in every dangerous battle with the Serpents, every risky misson. It's always you. At school, at Pop's, when I'm photographing the city or wandering on the motorcycle. It's always you, even when we're apart. You're always taking care of my heart. "

Cheryl lies to herself about loathing this girl's ease of leaving her completely speechless. In the comfortable silence, she kisses her again and again and knows that, for Toni, it is enough. Everything about Cheryl is enough.

Archie is waiting inside on the steps when Cheryl finally locks the front door and leans back over it with a smile lost in the red stain on her lipstick, enjoying the sound of Toni's motorcycle moving away. He lifts two cups of chocolate-hot, grinning head down. With an inevitable sigh, Cheryl sits down beside him, squeezed on the stairs, shoulder to shoulder, accepting the cup.

The sound of the television where Fred is watching a movie is the only sound that lingers for a few minutes, and at the same time mild, until Archie swallows the last of his marshmallows and sighs.

"You're happy. "

It's not a question, but Cheryl snuggles against him to whisper. "Is it absurd if I say I've never been happier? "

He shakes his head and puts an arm around her shoulders, the long red waves snapping under his chin, both letting the movie compete with Fred's snores in his chair for longer minutes, emptying their cups.

Archie bends over to see her face, casting a genuine smile, the mustache of chocolate foam leaving him with a look that makes her laugh involuntarily.

"I'm happy, Cheryl. " He confess. "I think I've never been happier either. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for getting here! Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> See you guys soon. :)
> 
> Find me on Twitter: @dokkstormur


	6. Eighteen years: Piece by Piece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! The last chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for staying with me. :)

Cheryl is excited about the graduation, even if she lets out so much less than the others around. Fred is still ecstatic with joy at her joining Yale and Archie at the MIC and the celebratory cake the builder has ordered for them is still halved in the frig.

They don't talk about how far they will be in the coming months, separated by miles and miles apart. Veronica will go to New York and Archie doesn't seem desolate, sealing his romantic promise that their two will always be together, though no one believes they will be able to keep a relationship at a distance. Maybe he's still suing, preferring to have fun making plans with Reggie for Chicago. Toni got a chance at the New Haven Camera Club with her portfolio, and Cheryl almost cried in her arms knowing they would be together in Connecticut. Fred, however, Cheryl has been thinking, will be alone in Riverdale, taking care of his company.

While everyone is absorbed in the preparations for the ball, this unforeseen reflection takes Cheryl to Thornhill, with its dusty windows, dead gardens and the cemetery where the members of the Blossom family lie.

When they were children, Jason and she dreamed about the day they would become adults and leave Riverdale forever. Despite her young age, suffering with the indifference and demands of her parents, her dreams were filled with expectation and some unlikely fantasies. Freedom, however, never seemed an utopia.

Cheryl has discovered many forms of freedom since the Blossom massacre, as much as she has known many forms of imprisonment, both ends untouchable, sometimes incomprehensible. The reason Clifford murdered his son, his mother and his wife, leaving her alone in the world after failing to murder her. The monster was never captured and its costly memory haunted her over the years, no terror overcoming it.

But Frederick and Archibald Andrews welcomed her and presented her with a world of everyday wonders, of unselfish affection, the simplicity of genuine emotions which were repressed in her from the first steps and words. As a tacit agreement that being a Blossom required to be completely annulled until it was nothing more than a hollow, well-dressed shell of supremacist speeches and contempt for everyone around.

To experience love, she comforts herself, has changed her destiny.

Fate, however, threw many surprises – pleasant and unpleasant – on her way. Like a melancholy and hopeless reminder that monsters always come back.

And sometimes, in broad daylight.

"You're exactly like your mother. Elegant, impassive. A Blossom, no matter what those suburban handheld clothes have tried to make of you. "

The voice is like a razor that bleeds the air and suffocates her without touching.

_His voice._

Clifford Blossom.

Cheryl turns slowly, uncontrolled, her eyes wide, her lips quivering, her skin paler than ever.

He has gray hair and presents himself in a red italian suit, shiny shoes on the dry ground of the graveyard, a silver cane planted on the ground under his hands, where Cheryl is petrified and sees blood, blood that is no longer there in fact, but of which she remembers, from which she can smell the nauseating, the color reddish like everything about her family.

"Clifford. " she whispers bitterly.

"Come on, your old dad doesn't deserve a hug? "

Cheryl involuntarily staggers back, almost tripping over the gravestones. "You don't have the right. You're not my father. "

"Who says that? Frederick, that failed hick? "

Anger consumes her. "Frederick Andrews did more for me than you would ever dream of in your miserable existence. Disappear before I call sheriff Keller. " Her trembling hands make him laugh eerily.

"Don't be the foolish child you've always been, Cheryl. I was surprised when I discovered you survived the fire, maybe you're not so useless. I came back to Riverdale for you, to rescue you from these plebs, to recover our empire and to be a family again. We don't want me to have to finish what I started five years ago, do we? "

Cheryl shudders over her high heels, the air thickening, making her unstable and terrified, as if suddenly the young woman she became, surrounded by the love of good friends, the most precious girlfriend in the world, a brother who everything he would face for her and a guardian who gave her the first chance of a happy life, disappeared completely, as if she suddenly forgot who she is and was once again a scares little girl wrapped in a silent mansion with three corpses around and a mountain of painful memories.

Like she's alone again.

"You're insane. " She tries to stand firm. "You slaughtered our family, you violently and ruthlessly destroyed the brother and grandmother I loved and the mother who, in spite of everything, I loved too. You annihilated everything I had and left me lost in the rubble. You tried to murder me in that barn. You're a monster and I never want to see you again. "

"Congratulations, child, you became a disappointment even far from the Blossom, I should have known you would be a disgrace to our legacy. Your mother was right, you mother was always right. We should have gotten rid of you long before I killed our family. Always the broken child, I should have kept Jason, that poor obedient little lamb who would probably run back to his dad. "

Cheryl doesn't know where the impulse comes from, like a soundless roar, a blast without a detonator, burning her from head to toe, her feet moving uncontrollably, and when conscious again, she only has time to feel the impact of her hand against Clifford's face, the slap echoing red, burning red, red as everything she can see when this man mocks her beloved twin brother.

"Never again. " She shivers, tears piling up on her eyelids. "Don't you dare mention my brother ever again. "

Clifford's expression finally changes, all the humor abandoned with Cheryl's outburst. He presses his cane between his fingers and frowns, menacing, making her move away again. "The suburb turned you into a savage. It's disgusting, just like your mother was before she was given the grace to be adopted by the Blossoms and destined for my arms from her insignificant eight years. "

"Penelope was evil, but fortunately she was still better than you ever will be. "

"Says you, insignificant little creature, that only has me as your legitimate family? "

Cheryl swallows hardly. "Legitimacy means nothing to me. I am Cheryl Blossom, the last one genuinely worthy of my name. And you are nothing but a wretch in decadence, alone and miserable. "

She waits for an acid reply or finally for a retreat, unable to foresee the icy, hard blow on her face, knocking her against Jason's marble tombstone. She immediately feels the blood drip beneath her nostrils and blocks the red trail with her fingers, panting in pain.

When her eyes meet his, Cheryl stares at the one that hit her: The barrel of a pistol, now pointed with Clifford's finger on the trigger. "Who do you think you are?! "He shouts. "Do you think today you are different from that rejected and insufficient little girl only because a failed worker decided to pity you that night? " Laughing, he shakes his gun like a toy, careless. "This is the only feeling everyone has had for you, Cheryl, pity, pity for the weak child you will always be! "

Tears finally trickle down Cheryl's face, wash the blood under her nose, her jaw trembling and tight, wanting to defy him again and never allow herself to be subjugated by him, by anyone. "Nothing you say can hurt me now, you bastard. " She murmurs under the pain.

"For now. " He fits the gun into the leather belt, grinning sickly. "You and I are going to take a ride to the Sweetwater River to refresh your mind. You can still change your decision until we get there. "

"Archie and Toni will find me. " Her trembling chin arises covered in blood.

"Oh, it would be great to get them on our backs, I'd have the chance to wipe out a nosy Andrews and a serpent scum at the same time maybe it ould help you be more respectful to you father? "

Cheryl shrinks as he pulls out the gun again and points upwards as a reminder of his firepower against her, a reminder that, like five years ago, her life is in his hands.

The last thing she remembers is another blow and complete unconsciousness.

 

Cheryl wakes up with a sudden movement, the monstrous figure of Clifford shaking her shoulders on the seat of the luxurious car. She's dizzy, a sharp pain in her head and her nose, the trail of blood still on her lips and chin. Even before she can recover, the old man drags her out, rough and impatient.

Sweetwater River. Her and Jason's refuge.

"Come on, you insolent child." Clifford points the gun. "Walk. "

In mid-winter, the surface of the river is completely frozen. He guides her with the threat of the pistol and his furious eyes and she refuses to beg. She walks in the required direction, her hands trembling, her thoughts on her beloved Serpent and Archie and Fred. She can see all of them and her friends dressed elegantly for graduation, the bright future that awaits them, the expectations of a life finally in peace, everything escaping from her bloody hands.

When her high heels echo on the ice, she finally absorbs the nightmare.

"I didn't tell you to stop. " The barrel of the gun is pressed against her back. "Walk. Aren't you brave, Cheryl? I told you to walk. "

And she does. She walks more and more to the center of the frozen river, the wind making the pain in her nose even worse. She thinks to hear a siren in the distance and silently convinces herself that she's losing her sanity. In fact, she knows she's about to lose everything. And she finally understands that the "everything" in her world is too much to lose, she can't, she's not prepared.

She can't lose Toni and the great love she gives her. Her precious Toni, her sweet and brave girlfriend. The girl who made her see inexperienced colors all around. The girl she loves. She never said she loves her.

She can't lose Archie. Her best friend. Her brother. With his songs and his kind smile. In his dirty socks, his altruism, his good heart.

She can't lose Fred. The man who gave her the first breath of life after the fire. The man who welcomed her and made her a room and faced moguls to protect her. The man who listened and understood and invited her girlfriend to dinner. The man who was the father she never had.

She can't lose Veronica, Josie, Kevin, Fangs, Sweet Pea, Betty, not even Jughead. She can't lose the people who fought for her and embraced her through every challenge life has put in her path.

She can't lose this version of herself, the young woman she became, the triumph of a frightened redheaded girl under Thornhill's fortress, reborned from the ashes of a colossal tragedy, discovering love, discovering self-sufficiency, discovering life.

She can't lose her life now that she knows how great and marvelous life can be.

"That's enough." Clifford's voice echoes further and she turns carefully over the ice to see him pointing the gun at the frozen surface, the same demonic smile on his face that has plagued her all her life.

And she finally understands. He doesn't intend to shoot her. He wants to see her drown, just as he wants to see her burn in that barn. He wants to see life slip away from her slowly. He'll shoot the ice.

"You could've been great, Cheryl. You could've been the greatest, but your weak mind subjugated you and you're going to die alone, as you should have died five years ago. "

She wants to respond. She wants to give a sharp and poisonous answer, but the only thing she can think of are silly and sincere pleas. She almost wants to beg him to let her say goodbye in some way to those she loves. She wants everything and nothing at the same time.

"I am not alone... " She dares utter, almost whispering.

"What? What did you say? "

"I am not alone. " She reaffirms, determined, staring into his empty eyes, fire in hers, always red, vibrating, invincible. "I will never be alone again, because now my world is filled, overflowing with love and loyalty and safety. You can't take anything from me now, Clifford, because now I am whole. You have no power over me. "

When the old man's gaze becomes somber, she finally attests to the truthfulness of what she thought to have heard, the echo of sirens and now engines. Clifford turns alarmed to find three distant figures on the banks and Cheryl's heart begins to run.

"CLIFFORD, STOP! "

Fred, Archie and Toni. And Cheryl can swear to see panic in their faces and tears in Toni's eyes. The command voice came from Fred and she had never seen him so desperate. Panic also strikes her when Clifford releases a bizarre, vile, almost victorious laugh. "Sorry, Andrews! " He bows. "You're too late! "

"You don't have to do this!" Fred yells. Two motorcycles stand behind them, Sweet Pea and Josie, Kevin and Fangs, all jumping immediately with aflictedeyes. Veronica arrives in Sheriff Keller's car, both approaching the group with the same affliction.

"Shame on you, Mr. Andrews, you should've let her die in that barn when she was miserable! You pretended to love her, you made her think she had a family and now she's going to lose everything because of you! "

"Let her go!" The tears are finally in his eyes, no one daring to come forward and the sheriff looking at a possible strategy to stop the maniac. "Please let her go! " To the astonishment of everyone, he falls to his knees on the river banks. "I'm begging, let her go! If you want to kill someone, take me! Please, take me! Let... " He gasps, pleading and tearful. "Let my little girl go... "

_My little girl._

Clifford turns to her again and Cheryl has only a second to separate her lips in an anguished whistle, her eyes immediately staring at the people in the distance who came for her. The old man shoots into the ice and the platform cracks, her body immediately sinking just in time to hear the desperate cries coming from the banks.

And everything is frozen darkness. The current drags her and she fights against it. She swims against the current, as Archie once sang to her. She tries to scratch and hit the ice above, her movements slow in the submersion. She can feel the cold in her veins, the lethargy of the flesh, the thoughts drowning as if they were physical. She sees the face of Jason and Nana Rose. Damn, she doesn't want to, but she sees Penelope, stoic and profane. There're muffled sounds above, shadows on the ice that gets redder and brighter.

It is... Paceful, somehow. Because she didn't bite Clifford in rebellion or pride, it wasn't to prove some kind of superiority. She told the truth. As she loses consciousness, she knows she has told the truth.

If she dies now, she will die whole.

 

She doesn't know how much time passes. Her lungs burn and cry out for oxygen. Warm hands hold her face and two others press and release against her chest. Soft lips send warm air to her. Everything burns and grinds and hurts. But she opens her eyes, she needs to open her eyes and cling to life. Her body arches and the water runs through her throat, vomited in jets, ripping everything. There's crying around when she finally opens her eyes.

And there they are.

Toni's hands again held her face, caressing, a smile full of tears open only to her, the knuckles of her fingers red. Beside her, kneeling on the snow-covered grass on the river banks, there's Archie, his hand broken and bloody, his hair drenched, panting head down. Toni wraps her in her leather jacket, her soft hands heating her face and cheeks, all of them trembling and exhausted. Other bodies come around, Veronica takes off her shaggy coat and puts on the leather jacket, she kneels beside them, followed by Fangs, Kevin, Sweet Pea, Josie, Betty and Jughead, as a protective circle, sending warmth and peace into her.

"Babe... " Toni's voice is like a beacon in the dark and Cheryl finally sees everything clearly.

"Toni... " she whispers hoarsely and painfully.

Toni pulls her into her arms, snuggling against her warm body, rubbing her arms and legs. "You're okay. " She says more to herself than to Cheryl. "We got you. You're okay. "

"I'm fine." She promises, her weak hand trying to touch Serpent's face. "I'm fine, mon trésor... "

Toni cries against her and Cheryl holds her tightly, clinging to her, feeling life finally consume her again. "I thought... I though I lost yo... "

"Shh... " She leans her foreheads together. "I'm here, TT. " She struggles to look around, her expressions relieved, making her more awake. "Archie... Fred... "

Immediately the boy crawls up to her, his broken hand unconsciously extended to her, accepts when she pulls her into the embrace with Toni, unable to let them go.

"You!" A furious voice echoes again, all eyes following the sound. Cheryl remains as alert as possible, stretching herself in Toni's arms. Sheriff Keller has Clifford Blossom handcuffed when Fred Andrews grabs the lapel of his red suit and strikes a violent punch to his face, finally tearing out his smug smile. One punch turns and two and three and four, with the sheriff's pleas for the builder to stop.

"We have him under control, Fred, it's over, you need to stop, partner! "

Cheryl notes that the knuckles of Fred's two hands are also swollen and she knows she saw them, her three heroes, her loved ones, Fred, Archie and Toni breaking the ice to save her.

"That was for hurting her again, you bastard! " He rages. He's never been so angry. "You're going to rot in jail, but I swear, if I ever see you near my daughter, my family again, I'll kill you myself! "

"Enough, Fred! " The sheriff pulls the surrendered man away. "I'll take it from here. "

The sheriff rudely drags the bloody man into the car, Kevin and Fangs running to help him. Fred remains paralyzed, his arm trembling, his breath catching, his shoulders tense, his back to the youngsters around Cheryl.

Cheryl stares at his back, her eyes blurred with tears. His words invading her, triumph over Clifford fortifying her and Toni's arms holding her giving her the necessary strength. The Serpent helps her to stand on her feet, bending over to pull Archie with them, freeing Cheryl from her embrace as if she knows what she needs to do. Cheryl shivers on her own legs, her body burning from head to toe, but she can't stop. She ignores the limbs stunted by her cold, she lets the coats slip from her shoulders and stumbles toward him, Archie's arm wrapping around her waist.

She gently touches his back and he finally loosens the grip of his fists, relaxing. Archie's broken hand struggles to touch his shoulder, making him to turn to face them. He looks exhausted and ashamed, but the protective fire in his eyes, one that the redheads have never seen before, remains alight, shining in the remnants of tears.

"I... I'm sorry, kids." He looks at both of them and then at the others. "Is everyone okay? We have to take you to the hospital and... "

"Daughter... " Cheryl whimpers, her hesitant hand well above his chest, feeling his heart racing. "You called me daughter... "

Fred sighs chokedly and takes her in a tight hug, bringing Archie with them, stroking her wet hair and Archie's red neck. "Yes. " He whispers, kissing her forehead. "Yes, my daughter, my treasure, my precious little girl. You're safe now. I promise we'll keep you safe now. You are the light of our lives, Miss Blossom. "

Cheryl thinks she understands now more than ever the meaning of 'home' and she knows she can never let go. She clings to them, her father, her brother, her family, she cries on Fred's chest and caresses delicately the wrist of Archie's broken hand. She cries even more compulsively when she feels Toni holding her other hand and the small group of her saviors approaching, offering warmth and complicity again.

This is family. This is home. And she's whole.

 

There're dressings on Toni and Fred's knuckles, a plaster already with signatures in Archie's hand and Cheryl was released from the hospital without complications except for a dressing on her eyebrow and nose. Toni drives the truck to the Andrews residence, Fred sleepy by her side and Archie asleep in Cheryl's lap in the back seat. The Serpent looks at her through the central rearview mirror whenever she has the chance and smiles and the horror of the recent events begins to slow down in the redhead's mind.

When they park and Cheryl helps Fred up the porch steps, Toni is ready to call Sweet Pea to get her on the motorcycle, to give privacy to the family, but Archie's good hand immediately stops her. His eyes look frightened and tired, and the whisper hardly reaches her ears. "Stay. Please... Stay. "

Cheryl smiles devoutly from the door and Toni can't refuse.

 

The heater is on in the living room and the only sound is the slow song on the old radio. The setting sun shines warm and orange through the curtains, the end of a day to be celebrated. Fred snores softly on the couch and their three snuggle up on a pile of pillows and duvets on the floor, none of them ready to stay away from each other yet. Cheryl is leaning against Toni, resigned, the Serpent's caress in her hair making her lethargic and satisfied. Archie is on the other side, sleeping on Cheryl's thighs like a koala puppy.

She bends her head over Toni's shoulder, their eyes meeting. She maneuvers a hand to gently touch her face, wishing nothing more than to stay forever like this with her, embraced by her, completely taken by her.

"Hey... " Toni whispers.

"Hey..." She smiles, overwhelmed.

"You're okay? "

"I am. " She closes her eyes, sighing.

"You don't have to pretend for me. Whatever it is, I'm here to catch you. Always. "

"I know. " Her laugh is hoarse and shaky. "I just... I'm sorry for dragging you into this barbarian mess. My barbarian mess. You already have so much to worry about... "

"I almost lost you today. " Toni clenches their foreheads. "I almost lost you and it scared the hell out of me. "

"TT... "

"A Serpent saw Clifford around the town and ran to tell me and you didn't pick up your phone. I called the guys, the sheriff, I searched everywhere. Archie was the one who suggested the river because he knew it was important to you and Jason. I didn't know. In that moment I realized I still don't know everything about you and how much I want to change it. How much we still have to discover about each other, how much we have to share. "

"I want it too, Toni." She kisses her cheek almost desperately, narrowing her eyes. "I crave for it more than anything. "

"So don't say you're sorry, babe, don't apologize for something that's not and it was never your fault." She laughs, a tear dripping. "Just tell me you're going to be okay. Tell me he didn't break you, because no one can break you, because you're sensational. Let me know you want me here as much as I want to stay... "

Cheryl looks deep into her eyes, a second of silence before she grabs her face and kisses her lips, trembling and needy, controlling, surrendering her. She doesn't pull away until they're both breathless and stunned.

"I love you, Toni. "

That's when Toni's eyes widen, a silly grin on her face, her heart racing under the redhead's hands. And she giggles, surprised, holding Cheryl's face like she's the most precious thing in the whole world. "You're trying to put me back in the hospital, is that what you want to do? Couldn't you just have said what I asked for? "

Cheryl bites her own lip, mischievous. "It was more practical than your speech, ma chérie. "

"You have to admit it was, Toni. "

They come out of their romantic bubble, looking down to find Archie awake, a hand resting under his chin, a teasing expression on his face and his hair completely messy.

"I agree. " Now the voice comes from above, Fred staring at them suspiciously.

Cheryl hides her flushed face on Toni's neck and the Serpent laughs guiltily. "Sorry to wake you guys up. "

"It's okay. " Archie shrugs. "Now say it back. "

"Archibald! " Cheryl exclaims even more embarrassed.

"You have to say it back, Miss Topaz, you're in Andrews-and-Miss-Blossom territory now. " Fred reinforces.

"I'm leaving. " Cheryl tries to get up, Toni's arms immediately bringing her back, falling into her lap, their faces very close, the silly grin still intact on Serpent's face, the redhead shyly lowering her eyes.

"Babe... Look at me. " Toni asks softly.

_Her voice..._

Cheryl would give her the entire world under the command of this voice. She looks into her eyes again, finding nothing but devotion and truth.

"I love you too, Cheryl Blossom. I think I love you since the day we kissed for the first time, after running to the Trailer Park on my motorcycle, fleeing the storm. "

Cheryl feels herself melting on her.

"Done. " Archie nods, satisfied. "Now I'll make some sandwiches. Help me out, Toni? "

The pair bump into the kitchen and Cheryl finds Fred watching her with a loving smile. She looks at his bandaged hand and caresses it softly, sighing. "I love you both as well. You and Archie. "

"So do we, Miss Blossom. So do we. " He sighs. "I didn't scared you in the river, did I? "

"Scared me...? You fought for me, you protected me, you took care of me as you always did since that flaming barn. Each one of you came... For me. "

"Because you deserve it. Because you're worthy. That's what family does. " He states with a long yawn.

"Rest now. " She commands with tenderness. "We can speak later. "

"Don't let them break the kitchen. " He smiles, quickly returning to fall asleep.

"Promise. " She waits to hear his first snore. "I won't, dad. "

A sound of beaten dishes echoes in the kitchen and Archie's voice sounds incredulous and dramatic. "Wait, you ran with my sister on the rump of your motorcycle in the middle of a storm?! "

Cheryl closes her eyes and laughs more genuinely than she ever could.

 

Graduation passed quickly under their eyes. Prom was a success. She danced all night with Toni, and Archie dedicated a song especially for her. They agreed to vote for Jughead and Betty as the King and Queen just to make the boy disgusted and was totally worth seeing those tortured eyes of him as much as Betty's genuine smile. Back in the trailer, she and Toni adored each other's bodies for the rest of the dawn, full of promises, full of expectations. And when she woke up naked and lethargic, wrapped in the arms of the girl she loves, she knew that everything was finally okay.

 

Now she sits on the porch, watching a magnanimous sunset with a cup of tea in her hands, the cherry-patterned white sweater warming her. Archie is right beside her, devouring a packet of cookies, the comfortable silence around them. In two days they're leaving. And right now all their friends are waiting at Pop's for a celebration, but they allow themselves to stay there just for a single moment, an overflowing moment of memories.

Fred comes over and sits between them with his own cup of coffee, handing Archie a hot chocolate. Immediately the two redheads lean into him, under his arms.

"Hello." The man laughs. "You two shouldn't be at Pop's right now?"

"Can we stay here just for a few more minutes? " Cheryl whispers.

"As much as you want, Miss Blossom. " He kisses her forehead, caressing her hair.

She lets herself enjoy the peace of the deal, closing her eyes.

It's hard and she doesn't mind admitting it. It is the first time she will be this far from her family in many years. But is different. It's not a loss like the Blossoms. It is not even a loss. She will call Fred whenever possible and secretly ask Alice to check for her if he is feeding properly. She will call Archie with the same constancy to listen to, even over the phone, his new songs. She will decorate the small apartment with pictures and drawings she made of them. She will visit whenever she has a chance.

Because now she knows what the family does. Keep the union even when they're away from each other. Keep care even when they can not run to each other. Keep the memories and the learnings. Even keep the bad parts, the distressed moments, the terrifying challenges, even if it's just as reminders that everything gets better.

Just... Keep close.

She almost ponders missing the celebration with her friends and stay there, watching the nightfall with the good man and his little boy, her protector and her confidant, those who broke and she was there to fix, with the heroes who defeated the monsters around her, those who accepted and embraced her shooting star with leather jacket.

With those who, _piece by piece_ , helped her to become whole.

As she feels warm and pacified, listening her father's calm heartbeat, she can swear she's hearing her brother's voice, melodious and gentle: _"Red Lady take my hand, hold on and sail with me... "_

 

Everything is finally okay.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for getting here! Finally the end. Hope you enjoyed our little journey.
> 
> I hope to see you guys soon. Truly. :)
> 
> Find me on Twitter: @dokkstormur


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